Dam Da — Restaurant in North Island

A friend (I still have one which is nothing short of miraculous) recommended Dam Da. I respect said friend’s culinary expertise so announced to the Favourite Husband that rather than the routine Saturday takeaways we were off on an adventure and to pack snacks; traffic and parking being what it is in “coneucopia.” I don’t recall having had Korean food before. Possibly fried chicken, but that’s kind of everywhere and I find it generally tastes the same wherever you go. Well, turns out that’s not actually true. We had the Korean spiced, sticky fried chicken. And it’s a lot. It also comes with fried noodles and chips. Health food this is not. It was absolutely delicious. The sauce was sweet and sticky with a hint of spice and the chicken was melt in the mouth. It would be great if there was a smaller portion size as this was too rich even shared between us. Following my friend’s recommendation we went with the seafood hot pot. We love trying new and what we hope to be, authentic cuisines. What we liked was the explanations and instructions from the super friendly staff. The Favourite Husband absolutely loved this dish. He was chomping on down, shells flying across the table, broth a-slurping. I really enjoyed it too but obviously in a far more ladylike manner. But you have to get down and dirty with those crab legs. I wouldn’t have the seafood again, that’s just me as I found the seafood smell overpowering. But I’d go back and try several different things on the menu. The steamed pork looks amazing. Good job Dam Da. Any chance you’ll be getting a liquor licence...

Took the kids in for fruit boba tea. Got 3 plastic cups full of ice with syrup. Went back in to try and explain that it was all ice and bitter syrup but the staff had serious language barrier issues, 4 staff came out all pretty defensive and the gent was getting pretty animated, throwing hat on floor and stuff like that and just kept saying no,no,no,no,no every time I tried to speak (not listening). They just did not understand the mistake they had made and were trying to explain the drinks had all the same measures which = 200ml. They made up a new jug and I even showed them the issue, I got them to fill up a cup with ice then poured the liquid in and was only able to put half the preparation in. But the guy still would not accept there was an issue and just kept going off on one while other staff were laughing. I couldn't be bothered with the confrontation so I just asked for my money back. My own kids couldn't understand how the staff could not see the issue either. The little girl gave me my money back and tried to explain that they were not trying to con us. I was like darling I know you were not trying to con me but $21 for 3 cups of ice and syrup is not worth it. Looks like place has good reviews for food and I feel bad leaving such a low rating but you just can't treat paying customers so poorly. There was a simple solution here, just saying sorry and making them again with less ice and...

I'm blown away by the outstanding service and top-notch food quality at Damda! The staff are incredibly kind, attentive, and efficient - my orders are always ready in no time.

Their food is consistently delicious, and I'm especially obsessed with their bubble tea - it's my go-to order to Uber from Damda! The flavors are always on point, and I appreciate the extra touches, like the adorable drawings on the bags and the free lollipops that come every now and then with your order.

However, I did experience a minor hiccup during my last order via uber eats - Their new chef accidentally messed up my drink order. But here's the impressive part: the staff immediately apologized, offered a full refund, and even included a heartfelt note explaining that they're truly sorry and will make sure it doesn't happen again.

That level of customer care and accountability is rare, and I appreciate Damda's commitment to excellence.

Overall, I'm thoroughly impressed with Damda, and I'll continue to be a loyal customer. If you haven't tried them yet, do yourself a favor and order from Damda ASAP!

Thanks for the fantastic experience, Damda!

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